Job o' the Day: (Volunteer) Entry Level Attorney with Human Rights Watch in Senegal!
I know, I know – this position isn’t technically a job. However, it’s an amazing opportunity for law students and recent graduates interested in international human rights to get their foot in the door. And you’ll get to put “prosecuting war criminals” on your resume:
The Legal & Policy Office of Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking a volunteer to join the team on the case against Hissène Habré. HRW has been working for 13 years
with the victims of Chad’s exiled former President, to bring him to trial. Habré, who lives in exile in Senegal, is accused of responsibility for thousands of political killings and systematic torture when he ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990. At the request of the African Union (AU), Senegal agreed to prosecute Habré in July 2006. Senegal stalled on efforts to try Habré for years, but the new government under President Macky Sall appears to be moving quickly to bring Habré to trial.
On July 24, Senegal and the AU announced a landmark agreement to create “Extraordinary African Chambers” with African judges in the Senegalese justice system to begin pre-trial investigations in October. Just days earlier, on July 20, the International Court of Justice ruled that Senegal had violated its legal obligations under the Torture Convention and ordered Senegal to bring Habré to justice “without further delay,” either by prosecuting him in Senegal or extraditing him. Please visit www.hrw.org/en/habre-case (English) or www.hrw.org/fr/habre-case (French) for more information.
The volunteer project includes conducting legal research on international and Senegalese criminal law issues, liaising with the victims’ legal team and HRW’s partners in Senegal and Chad, and supporting advocacy efforts with the Senegalese government and international donors. The volunteer will be supervised by HRW’s Counsel.
This position will be located in Dakar, Senegal. Ideally, it will last for 6 months starting in September or October of 2012. Human Rights Watch is unable to offer relocation assistance, but don’t let that stop you from applying – PSLawNet.org has a whole page of resources for students interested in international law, including how to obtain funding for unpaid opportunities.
For more information, check out the full listing at PSLawNet.org (log-in required).